Adjustable dispensing closure



Jan. 22, 1946. A. LIMBACH ADJUSTABL DISPENSING CLOSURE Filed Nov. 1, 1944 MJwWM/w 2 Ww 7 Z M Uy/wx 1, 7 n 7 K m wmwmidrwmm l f f f f f INVENTOR Patented Jan. 22, 1946 ADJUSTABLE DISPENSING CLOSURE v Y Alex Limbach, Carmel, N. Y. A

Application November l, 1944, Serial N o. 561,468

I 7 Claims. This invention relates to an improved adjust- .able one-hand operated dispensing closure for containers of material which it is desired to dispense in highly dispersed condition.

An object of this invention is a variable closure dispenser made up of few parts of simple construction which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and may be adjusted to produce various degrees of dispersion as well as may be sealed against operation merely by slight rotation of the. dispenser relative' to the container.

In accordance with this invention, a threaded member is rotatably mounted on a container neck in such manner that rotation of the member eilects movement of it axially of the neck. An apertured flexible disk has yone face contacting said member and has its other face concave except for a narrow rim. A flexible strip overlies the concave face of said flexible disk and is of less width than the diameter of the concave portion while being of proper length and end conguration to conform to the periphery of the flexible disk. A rigid disk overlies said flexible disk and has a central aperture, the surface of said rigid disk facing said flexible disk being slightly concave. A hemispherical bulb has its rim engaging the rim of the rigid disk and a circular band or shell encloses and connects the aforementioned members in assembled relation. The rigid disk is chamfered at its periphery to form a pair of annular chambers and is provided with grooves in both faces connecting with said annular chainibers. A recess in the inner surface of the band or shell communicates with both said chambers and an aperture leads from said recess through said band to the exterior thereof.

Compression of the bulb forces the flexible strip downwardly into sealing relation to the flexible disk aperture to prevent flow therethrough and the contents of the bulb are discharged through the rigid disk grooves into the annular chambers and from these chambers into the band recess and thence through the aperture. Upon expansion of the bulb, air is drawn through the aperture in the reverse direction through the annular chamber and the rigid member grooves into the bulb. Also, liquid is drawn from the container through the flexible disk aperture and between the flexible strip straight edges and the flexible disk concave portion into one annular-chamber from whence it flows through grooves in the under face of the disk into the disk aperture and thence into the bulb. By screwing the rotatable member onto the neck a. sufficient extent, the exible disk, together with the iiexible strip, is bowed up to (ci. 29e-ss) contact the flexible strip with the concave lower face of the rigid disk closing the aperture therein to prevent liquid flow from the container into the bulb and thus render the dispenserinoperative and leak-proof. The rotary movement vof the rotatable member from closed position to a posi- .tion in which the exible disk no longer contacts the end of the bottle neck varies the size of the chamber between the exible strip and the conA cave face of the exible disk and regulates the undulating movement of the flexible strip which in turn varies the volume of liquid to be dispersed.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from Ithe following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a container equipped with a dispensing closure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the atomizer in operative position;`

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the atom- 26 izer in non-operating condition.

A container I0 has a neck II provided with an exterior thread. An interiorly threaded member I2 having a ange I2a is screwed onto the neck I I and is preferably composed of plastic material. By relative rotation of the neck Il and member I 2, the flange Iza is caused to assume different positions relative to the -upper end of the neck I I. A disk I3 of rubber or other suitable material is of the same diameter as and rests on the upper face l of the flange I2a. The upper surface of the member I3 is concave except for a narrow rim portion I4 and is provided with a boss I5 having a two-diameter cylindrical passageway I6 terminating in a conical recess I1 formed in the concave surface of the disk. In commercial embodiments of the invention, the extent of concavity is much less than is shown in the drawing wherein it was necessary'to exaggerate the concavity for the sake of clarity. A tube I8 of glass or other suitable material fits into the larger diameter portion of the passageway I6 and projects nearly to the bottom of the container. A strip I9 of ilexible material overlies the disk I 3. This strip is of curvature to conform to the periphery of the'disk I 3. A disk 2li of the same diameter as the disk I3 and preferably composed of plastic material over'- lies the flexible strip I9. Both surfaces ofthe disk 20 are slightly concave and the disk has a less width than the diameter of the concave porl tion of the disk I3 and is of proper length and end.

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, v anannularrim-restingonthedisk 11j flllfnsheli or band 24 'of plastic material sur- .r0unds'the'.peripheries of the member I2, thedisk jill, the strip Il,.the disk 2l, the rim 23 and has a flange 2l engaging the top surface of the rim-23.

One

of the complete assembly is to permit the manufacture of all parts except the member I2 of uniformsize andrequiring merely that the member I2 be provided with various size threads to nt any particular type neck,

'rae periphery or the disk ze is mannered at' 2l and 2l to form annular chambers 30 and 3l. A circular recess 32 is formed in the inner surface oi the shell 24 of proper area to communicate with both the chamber 30 and the-chamber 3l and has an aperture 33 leading to atmosphere. The top and bottom surfaces of the disk 20 are providedwith grooves 34 and l5 leading inwardly from the periphery ofthe disk and terminating tion in which the surface of the flange 12a is flush vwith or above the end of the neck II. Compression of the bulb 22 forces the exible strip I9 downwardly into sealing relation to the lmouth of the recess Il to prevent flow through the tube I8 into the container IL. The contents of the :bulb are discharged through the grooves 3l and 25 into the annular chambers 30 and 3l and from these chambers into the recess 32 and through the aperture 33. The direction of ow through the chamber 29 is opposite to the direction of flow through the chamber 30 so that when the two streams reach the recess, they are caused to circle around therein in the same direction whereby thorough mixture of the air and liquid is eected prior to discharge thereof through the aperture 33. Upon expansion of the bulb 22, the flexible strip I9 is lifted toward the rigid disk 2l to form passageways I 9a between the straight sides of the flexible strip I9 and the concave surface of the flexible disk I3. Air is drawn through the aperture 32 in the reverse direction into the chambers 3l and 3| and thence through the grooves 34 and 35 into the bulb while liquid isdrawn from the container through the tube I8 and passages I9a into the chamber 30 and thence through the grooves 35 into the aperture 2I of the disk 2l so that the bulb contains both 'air and liquid. Upon compression of the Vbulb`22', the air` and liquid in highly dispersed condition is discharged throughthe aperture 33.

The dispenser may be brought into inoperative -tainer through the tube I8. Compression of the bulb 22 thenmerely expels air from the dispenser without carrying with it any of the contents of the container. The rate of discharge of the dis- `'.iiieshell 2( has inwardly directed-proiecv tions 2l ntting' into recessesil inthe flange |26 4 to attachfthe ring 24 to the member I2 with the remainingelements clamped therebetween. reason for having the member I2z a separate part penser is variable by rotation of the member. I2 to positions intermediate those shown in Figs. 2

The various units may be assembled without the requirement of any particular orientation of one with respect to any other. Assembly is effected merely by placing the members successively on top of each other irrespective of any orientation. As far as operation of the dispenser is concerned, the top face of the rigid disk 20 need not be Amade concave but it is preferred, for manufacturing reasons. to make both faces of this disk alike so that it may be assembled with the remaining parts irrespective of which way it is arranged.

I claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a container having a neck, a member having threaded engagement with said neck, an apertured flexible disk having one face contacting said member and having its other face concave, a exible strip overlying said other face of said flexible disk, said flexible strip being of less width than the diameter of the concave portion and of proper length and end configuration to conform to the periphery of said flexible disk, a rigid disk overlying said flexible disk and having a central aperture, the surface of said rigid disk facing said n. .ible disk being slightly concave, a hemispherical bulb having its rim engaging the rim of said rigid disk, a circular band enclosing and connecting the aforementioned members in assembled relation, said rigid disk being chamfered at its periphery to form annular chambers, grooves in both faces of said rigid member communicating with said annular chambers, a recess in the inner surface of said band communicating with both said chambers, and an aperture leading from said recess through said band to the exterior thereof.

2. A device of the character described com- I prising a container having a neck, a tubular member receiving said neck and having an annular band extending therefrom, an apertured flexible disk Within said band having one face contacting said member and having its other face concave, a flexible strip within said band overlying the other face of said flexible disk, said ilexible disk being of less width than the diameter of the concave portion and of proper length and end configuration to conform to the periphery of said flexible disk, a rigid disk within said lband overlying said flexibl disk and having a central aperture, a hemispherical bulb having its rim received in said band in contact with said rigid disk, a ange extending inwardly from said band over the bulb rim in clamping relation thereto, said rigid washer having its rim chamfered to form an annular chamber and having a slight concavity in the face thereof facing said exible strip, grooves in said last-named disk surface leading inwardly from the disk periphery and ter minating short of the periphery of the disk aperture, an aperturein said band communicating with said chamber, connections between said tubular' member and neck for effecting axial movement of said member on said neck to engage the end of said neck with saidflexible disk to vary the relation of said exible strip to the opposed concave surface of said rigid disk.

3. A device of the character described comprising an apertured flexible disk having one face concave, a flexible strip overlying Asaid flexible disk concave face and being of less width than the concave portion thereof but of proper length and end configuration to conform to the periphery of said iiexible disk, a rigid disk of the same diameter as said ilexible disk overlying said iiexible strip and having a central aperture, the surface of said rigid disk facing said iiexible strip being slightly concave, aihemispherical bulb having its rim engaging the rim of said rigid disk, a circular band enclosing said aforementioned members and having an inwardly directed flange overlying the bulb rim, a tubular member attached to the remaining end of said band in contact with the remaining face of said flexible disk and cooperating with said band ange to clamp together the interposed members-in assembled relation, said disk being chamfered at its periphery to form a pair of annular chambers, grooves in both faces of said rigid member communicating with said annular chambers but terminating short of the periphery of said rigid disk aperture, a recess in the inner wall of said band communicating with both said chambers, and an aperture leading from said recess through said band, a container having a neck projecting into said member, said neck and member havingthreaded connection whereby rotation of said member on said neck effects axial movement of said member on said neck to engage the end of said neck with said flexible disk to vary the relation of the flexible strip and the concave surface of said' flexible disk to the concave surface of said rigid disk.

4. A device of the character described comprising an apertured exible disk having one face concave, a exible strip overlying said flexible disk concave face and being of less width than the concave portion thereof but of proper length and end conguration to conform to the periphery of said exible disk, a. rigid disk of the same diameter as said flexible disk overlying said nexiblestrip and having a central aperture, the surface of said rigid disk facing said flexible strip being slightly concave, a hemispherical bulb having its rim engaging the rim o f said rigid disk, a circular band enclosing said aforementioned members and having an inwardly directed ange overlying the bulb rim, a tubular member attached to the remaining end of said band in contact with the remaining face of said exible disk and cooperating with said band ange to clamp together the interposed members in' assaid band, a container having a neck projecting into said member, means interconnecting said neck and member for relative axial movement to engage the end of the neck with said flexible disk to vary the relation of the concave surface of said exible disk and said flexible strip to the opposed concave surface of said rigid disk.

5. A device of the character described comprising an apertured flexible disk having one face concave, a flexible strip overlying said flexible disk concave face and being of less width than the concave portion thereof but of proper length and end configuration to conform to the periphery of said iiexible disk, a rigid disk of the same diameter as said flexible disk overlying said flexible strip and having a central aperture, the surface of said rigid disk facing said iiexible strip being slightly concave, a hemispherical bulb having its rim engaging the rim of said rigid disk, a circular band enclosing said aforementioned members and having-an inwardly directed flange overlying the bulb rim, a member attached to the remaining end of said band in contact with the remaining face of said flexible disk andcooperating with said band ange to clamp together .the interposed members in assembled relation, said disk being chamfered at its periphery to form an annular chamber, grooves in the under face of said rigid member communicating with said annular chamber but terminating short of the periphery of said rigid disk aperture, and

l an aperture through said'band communicating sembledrelation, said disk being chamfered at its periphery to form a pair of annular chambers, grooves in` both faces of said rigid member communicating with said annular chambers but terminating short of the periphery of said rigid disk aperture, a recess in the inner wallof said band communicating with both said chambers,

an aperture leading from said recess through with said chamber.

6. In combination, a container having a neck, a. dispensing closure having a portion receiving said neck, means interconnecting said neck and closure for movement of said closure axially of said neck, means in said closure for withdrawing liquid from said container and discharging the .liquid in highly dispersed condition including valve means for preventing return new of liquid to said container, and means in said closure cooperating with said valve means upon movement of said Iclosure on said neck to restrict now of liquid. from said container into said closure.

7. In combination, a container having a neck, a. dispensing closure'having a portion receiving said neck, a threaded connection between said 'neck and closure, means in said closure for withdrawing liquid from said container and discharging the liquid in highly dispersed condition including valve means for preventing return flow of liquid from said closure to said container, and means in said closure cooperating with said valve means upon axial movement of said i closure on said neck .to restrict now of liquid from said container into said closure.

- ALEX LIMBACH. 

